Washington: US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and French colleague Florence Parly signed an agreement to improve cooperation in the field of special operations, Defense Department spokesman John Kirby said in a statement.
“Austin Secretary and Minister of Parly concluded their meeting with the Signing ceremony of the AS-France Roadmap to improve cooperation in the field of special operations,” Kirby said on Friday.
“Roadmap gives US and French signals to identify areas where increased coordination of special operations and cooperation is possible,” he added.
Kirby said the two defense heads specifically discussed bilateral cooperation to overcome security challenges in the Middle East and Africa.
In June, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said terrorism remained a major threat to stability in the Middle East and Africa.
Shoigu said after the Islamic terror group (prohibited in Russia) was eradicated in Syria and Iraq, most of the fighters moved to Libya, but there were also terrorist cells in Mali, Central African Republic and Mozambique.